This invention relates generally to improvements in a vending control system, and more particularly to a torque-limiting clutch assembly for such a vending control system to preclude overload or stalling of an electric motor should the product being dispensed by the motor jam the dispensing mechanism driven by the motor, to preclude usage of this disabled motor and complementary circuitry until the product jamming the vending dispensing mechanism has been removed, and to preclude the disabling of all other parallel-connected motors when one or more of such motors have been disabled by product jamming.
In a vending machine capable of dispensing one or more individual products, an electric motor-driven mechanism is required to physically dispense such products. A typical vending machine may consist of several electric motors and dispensing assemblies connected in parallel across a power source. In the heretofore conventional vending control systems, when the product being dispensed by a motor jams its dispensing mechanism driven by such motor, the electric motor can be overloaded or stalled. Moreover, in such systems, further damage to the electric motor and its complementary circuitry could be caused by attempted operation before the product jamming the vending dispensing mechanism has been removed. In addition, all of the parallel-connected motors of the assemblies would be disabled upon disabling of any one of such motors, thereby causing a complete shut-down of a vending machine.